Coppin State vs. West Virginia Game Preview

Wednesday night college hoops brings us a matchup that fits perfectly with the identity Ross Hodge has built at West Virginia. Coppin State heads into Morgantown searching for any sign of life on offense, while the Mountaineers continue to smother opponents with one of the most disciplined and punishing defenses in the country. The pace, the matchup, and the recent trends all point in one clear direction, and this spot could show exactly why West Virginia has become one of the most dependable under teams on the board. If you enjoy slow, physical, grind it out basketball, this one is worth your attention.

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Coppin State vs. West Virginia Odds

Can Ross Hodge and his boys keep this a low scoring affair?

Odds are courtesy of BetOnline, a longtime fixture among the top online sports betting sites. Check out our BetOnline sportsbook review, then bag a big bonus (100% if your first deposit is with Bitcoin, Ethereum, or another cryptocurrency) to bet on College Basketball games.

Spread

Coppin State: +32 (-110)

West Virginia: -32 (-110)

Total

Over: 132.5 (-118)

Under: 132.5 (-102)

Moneyline

Coppin State: N/A

West Virginia: N/A

Coppin State vs. West Virginia Best Bet

Welcome back to Wednesday night college hoops as the Coppin State Eagles head to Morgantown to take on the West Virginia Mountaineers. The Eagles are looking to bounce back from their loss to Loyola Maryland on Sunday. The Mountaineers are looking to keep their momentum alive after a massive bounce back win on Sunday following two straight losses in Feast Week.

Death. Taxes. Ross Hodge Unders.

West Virginia is coached by one of my favorite coaches in college basketball and he has turned West Virginia into under machines. It feels like the perfect time to trust Ross Hodge and his boys to play slow, methodical defense this evening, fully suffocating the Coppin State offense from start to finish.

I grabbed the under as soon as it opened at 133.5. Since then, it has dropped to 132.5. I fully endorse the under down to 130.5. Points should be at a premium, and the Mountaineers will likely be looking ahead to their game against Wake Forest on Saturday, so a major blowout does not seem likely.

If you are unaware of how Ross Hodge teams operate, they play as slow as your grandma’s pickup league and rely on suffocating defense. Through eight games this season, the Mountaineers own the 14th best defense in the country, per Bart Torvik. They are the best defensive rebounding team in the nation and the second best interior defense. They struggle a bit with defending the deep ball, but they limit opponent threes at a solid rate. Luckily for us, Coppin State is 306th in three point rate and 303rd in three-point percentage this year.

Coppin State’s Offense

On top of that, the Eagles are the fourth worst offense in the country, and they are bottom 25 in turnover percentage and two-point percentage. The Mountaineers may not allow the Eagles to get a clean look on the interior.

Coppin State has taken on three teams inside the top 100 this season and has scored under 60 in two of those three games. The one time they reached 61 came against Maryland, who sits about 150 spots ahead of West Virginia in pace. Against teams in the bottom 150, West Virginia is allowing 52.8 points per game. They just held No. 322 Mercyhurst to 38 points on Sunday.

With West Virginia likely looking ahead to Saturday against the Demon Deacons, I expect them to play conservatively, control the game from start to finish, and come out with a win. This matchup sets up perfectly for a methodical pace, steady defense, and a focus on staying healthy for the weekend. West Virginia has shown all season that it can dictate tempo against lower tier competition, and this game should be no different. Coppin State does not have the shooting or interior presence to force the Mountaineers out of their comfort zone, which makes a low scoring grind even more likely.